This Morning presenters celebrate show’s 25th anniversary

OHMYGOSSIP — ‘This Morning’ presenters past and present, including Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, appeared on the show today (03.10.13) to celebrate its 25th anniversary and recall their favourite moments on the programme.

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan – who hosted the first ever ‘This Morning’ on October 3, 1988 – sat on the iconic sofa to recall their favourite memories of the programme alongside regular presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford.

Speaking on the daytime show from its original studios at Albert Dock in Liverpool – where the programme first aired before relocating to London in 1996 – Richard said: “There was no security when we started, nobody on the doors and there were double doors on either side. People used to walk through here and didn’t realise it was a studio. Nobody stopped them. They would just walk in with their shopping.

“One day two old ladies came in and they walked right in with their shopping and we were in the middle of a live interview and one of them looked up and said, ‘Excuse me, is this Habitat?’ ”

Eamonn joked he had “mixed memories” of the long-running programme because it lost him a job when he was working for rival BBC daytime show ‘Open Air’, which was axed just one year after ‘This Morning’ started.

When asked what he was doing when the first episode aired in 1988, he recalled: “I was ruling the airwaves on the BBC. We had a show that had no competition, ‘Open Air’, coming from Oxford Road in Manchester and then this ITV programme set up and we were off the air a year later.

“So this lost me a job and then a few years later gave me a job. Mixed memories!”

The 53-year-old presenter also admitted his fondest memory of ‘This Morning’ occurred in 2009 when Peter Kay educated him live on air that a “dog’s lipstick” is in fact another word for a pooch’s member rather than a cosmetic item.

Eamonn said: “I thought it was cosmetics for dogs. I genuinely did. Dog shoes, dog coats, dog lipstick. But I now know!”

Fern Britton – who co-hosted the show alongside Richard and later Phillip from 1999 to 2009 – wasn’t able to appear in the studio due to previous commitments, but she pre-recorded a video message which was played on the show.

In the clip, she said: “I hope you’re having a great time in Liverpool. I had a great time for 10 years and now in Holly and Phillip’s hands it’s just going from strength to strength.

“Hi Richard and Judy, without you this wouldn’t exist. I’ve had some fantastic memories standing in the studio. Happy birthday!”

Several stars also appeared on the 25th anniversary programme including singer Charlotte Church, ‘Coronation Street’ star Barbara Knox – who plays Rita Sullivan in the ITV soap – Blue’s Lee Ryan and Richard and Judy’s daughter Chloe Madeley.